Every family is unique and what goes for one won’t work for another, but is there an age limit on saying ‘Mammy’ and ‘Daddy’?
Lots of adults still call their parents Mammy and Daddy – but is it odd to say that past certain age?
One mum has said that she’s annoyed with her kids’ father for telling them they can’t call him ‘Daddy’ anymore.
The woman and man, who are separated, have three children together aged 10, nine and seven and a half, she explained on Mumsnet.
After a trip to stay with their dad, the kids came home to their mum and “told me that their father had told them they were too old to refer to him as daddy and that other kids would make fun of them as they were too old.”
“Cue automatic claws out reflex from me.
“This has come out of the blue – they’re very young for their age, he’s always been daddy but explained that they had to move to dad.”
The woman asked whether she was unreasonable for thinking her ex was being unfair.
“Kids are upset, I’m annoyed but don’t want to lose my temper if I’m being overly sensitive,” she wrote.
Commenters on the parenting forum were divided on the issue.
Several parents said that the children were too old to say ‘Daddy.’
“Personally, I would say they are a bit too old for daddy and mummy, but if they prefer it there’s no harm is there?”
“Definitely too old for “Daddy”, he’s right. It has nothing to do with you though, it’s between him and them.”
“I also think that they’re a bit old for daddy and mummy, but I think it’s as much of a cultural thing as anything else.”
“His warning is genuine. People pick on one another for anything and everything and words are one of the prime targets.”
But most agreed that it should be up to the children themselves to decide when they stop, with a number of people confessing to still using ‘Daddy’ as adults.
“It’s surely something they decide for themselves when they’re ready, not something that can, or should, be dictated to them.”
“24 years of age and i still call my dad, daddy. Think it should be left completely up to your children.”
“Bollocks to that. I called my father daddy till he died – I was 56.”
“What’s all this ‘too old?’ I’ve never realised there was a cut off point? I’m nearly 30 and still call my parents mummy and daddy.”
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